1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording media discard device for discarding a recording medium and a system including the device, and a contents administration method.
2. Related Background Art
In a conventional printing system, for example, print data generated by a personal computer or the like is sent to a printer, whereby given contents can be printed. Such print system is capable of sharing electronic information contents through network connection.
However, when contents are once printed on paper used as a display medium, it is difficult to share or administer paper information because the paper information is separated from the network.
In addition, concerning conversion of paper information into an electronic form, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-285203 discloses an information transmission method using paper incorporating an IC chip. This method also stores information, which is printed on paper, in the IC chip attached to the paper. Then, in the case in which the same information is printed on different paper, the information stored in the IC chip is read out and printed, whereby the information is distributed, exchanged, and saved using the paper as an electronic storage medium.
Further, as a printed matter publication control system, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-78176 discloses a technique concerning a system for preventing publication of an illegitimate printed matter. This system is used for, for example, publication control for printed matters such as securities and copyrighted articles. With this system, only in the case in which identification information on a display medium is recognized as legitimate identification information, contents stored in a contents controlling apparatus are printed on the display medium. Thus, prints having the legitimate identification information can be administered. Here, as “identification information”, for example, print information such as characters and signs, magnetic information, optical detection information such as a barcode, a watermark, and the like are disclosed.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-120475 discloses, as a document management system, a technique which allows easy grasp of a person in charge, a place of approval, and the like together with search, consultation via circular, circulation, and the like of a document by using a document including a sheet attached with an identifier. The laid-open patent application also indicates that contents, which are printed on the sheet attached with an identifier, and the identifier of the sheet, on which the contents are printed, are administered in association with each other, and discloses a shredder incorporated with a reading device as an office machine for discarding the sheet attached with the identifier which is used as a display medium.
In a general conventional use/administration system for paper documents, paper used as a display medium, on which contents are printed or copied, is separated from a network system. Thus, it is practically impossible to administer prints.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-285203 described above simply discloses a technique for storing contents in an IC chip and a technique for reading out and printing the contents stored in the IC chip but does not disclose a description concerning administration in the case where the paper with an IC chip is discarded.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-78176 described above discloses a system for administering contents printed on a display medium but does not disclose a description concerning administration in the case where the display medium is discarded.
Moreover, in the document management system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-120475, when the sheet attached with an identifier is discarded by a shredder, the shredder reads the identifier, whereby it can be confirmed that the sheet with the identifier has been discarded. However, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-120475, even if a sheet is discarded, contents printed on the discarded sheet remains in a management device.
In addition, this system is a system for administering existence and discard of a sheet and cannot prevent a user from discarding an important document by mistake.